UPDATE: Chris Sanders Still Crood and Directing Dragon

The Seward Street blog, run by a DreamWorks animator, notes that Chris Sanders is no longer directing Crood Awakening at DreamWorks and he’s working on another film at the studio. The animator writes:

Chris Sanders is now the director on the next film I’m working on, How to Train Your Dragon. Dean DeBlois is coming on as a writer as well. Have to admit, I always liked Lilo and Stitch, so this is pretty exciting.

The previously announced director of How to Train Your Dragon was Peter Hastings, a producer/writer on Animaniacs and director of The Country Bears live-action feature. Can somebody say improvement.

UPDATE: The original post was removed from his blog.

PARTNER MESSAGE

UPDATE #2: A representative from the law firm representing Chris Sanders sends in the following information: “Our firm represents Chris Sanders, and can confirm that he remains the director of CROOD. He will also be taking over HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.”

Hey now Animaniacs was good. But now I’m worried about what happened to him at Crood.

Paul N

The question on everyone’s mind is: Why was he moved from Crood to Dragon?

Angry Anim

Animaniacs was not good. When it was on, I gave it chance after chance after chance…. I don’t think I laughed once. Totally felt like it was trying to be funny and wacky, rather than actually being funny. The voice talent was always obnoxious… that Babs Bunny/Dot voice alone was just so in your face.

“HELLLO NURSE!!” I never knew what that meant either.

ghoest

But cantankerous cartoonist, Animaniacs was a staple of a generation steeped in pop culture and innuendo.. will nothing please you!

I hope Mr. Sanders puts out a film that akin to his style. That was my worry about him being at Dreamworks. I’m still hoping for the best. But I too want to know why he was removed from the CROOD project.

Actually, Peter Hasting’s major contribution to ANIMANIACS was creating PINKY AND THE BRAIN (and producing their spinoff- at least until the Warner’s brass drove him off it and forced a disasterous revamp on the show). I wouldn’t dismiss him so readily…

Peter Hastings is a fantastic writer- his work on Animaniacs and especially Pinky and the Brain was witty and layered. When he left Warners to work on One Saturday Morning on ABC, I made it a point to watch it a few times. It was no Pinky and The Brain, but I was actually impressed at how entertaining the block was. And as for The Country Bears movie…its not like that was his idea, he just directed it. Really, even Spielberg couldn’t make a good movie out of an idea as rotten as that. I’m a huge fan of Chris Sanders, but don’t be so quick to write off Peter.

(Also, Angry Anim: “Hello Nurse” is an old vaudeville catchphrase, used in pretty much the same context as Animaniacs used it. I always thought it was cute.)

O.K, first he gets kicked off of American Dog which becomes Bolt (I still not made my mind up what to think) then he gets put forward to direct an old Aardman project and then he gets kicked off of that as well.

Will somebody just let the man express his quirky mind!

Rat

From what I understand Dragon was to come out earlier. So he’s not being kicked off anything, he’s riding in to help something.

That is, if this change is actually occurring. Of which I have no knowledge.

Animaniacs sucked. Let’s make that clear. Shit is shit.
Congrats to Chris and Congrats to Dean!!!

Rio

I was a kid when the Animaniacs were first out. I have to say, I can’t mention another cartoon of that time that was that good besides Batman: The Animated Series.(Which wasn’t a comedy, so it’s not a good comparison.) I loved the Animaniacs and thought it was very funny. The pigeons, Pinky and the Brain, the whole thing was just very entertaining.

Tim Yoon

Peter Hastings is very talented. Whatever the REAL reason for his departure, I’m sure he’ll be scooped up by someone quickly. Everyone judges so quickly but everyone in animation has a few projects they wished they didn’t accept. You should be so lucky if the skeleton in your closet was directing Christopher Walken in a live action movie.

Country Bears was an odd one – although that fiddle/guitar battle was pretty mad and Christopher Walken was awesome. But no love for Animanics? Oh well.

Dreamwork’s guy

Chris and his creative team (Head of story Alessandro Carloni and Editor Darren Homes) are still officially running Crood.
Crood release date has been pushed to late 2012 while Dragons is still scheduled to come out in spring 2010.